History

Sutter Lawn has a historical committee that has been hard at work organizing and cataloguing the history of Sutter Lawn. During John Murphy's presidency, it occurred to him, that over the years, he had accumulated a fair amount of club memorabilia that he wanted to share. With the help of Vicki Diepenbrock, they formed the Sutter Lawn Historical Committee and began sorting boxes filled with old, unidentified photographs and newspaper clippings. Once word got out, additional items began to make their way to the historical committee-long forgotten photographs, newspaper articles, dusty trophies and mementos from members involved in Sutter Lawn's rich and varied history.

Slowly, a time line began to take shape in the form of a series of books chronicling each decade beginning with the club's formation in 1919. The end result was a sizable body of work recounting Sutter Lawn's history. There are six books containing newspaper clippings and photographs, four books devoted to recorded minutes from SL board meetings, one book dedicated to our "artist in residence," Wayne Thiebaud, and one book showcasing the Tsunamis swim team pictures beginning with its first team from 1969.The historical committee continued by restoring delicate photographs of past tennis legends who played on Sutter Lawn's courts during the Central Cal Tournaments from the 1970s. These beautifully framed photos now appear throughout the clubhouse along with trophies that were brought out of storage.

Recently, the historical files were reviewed to build a clear timeline of the birth of Sutter Lawn Tennis Club. The files contain an original copy of the March 28, 1919, "Articles of Incorporation of Sutter Lawn Tennis Club, Inc." The newly formed corporation considered possible sites for the club, selected the present site, purchased the property, and constructed the facilities. This initial corporation ("Sutter") purchased the property for $1,100. The original 1919 "Sutter" articles of incorporation specified the corporation would have a 50 year life span and would therefore terminate in 1969. The 1954 Lease Agreement was from November 1954 to November 1, 1968. It appears, the original "Sutter" corporation had shareholders that needed to be bought out by 1969, and that the new association was given some time to raise the buyout money while operating the club.

The original 1919 corporation was started with $20,000 in shareholder investment. In 1968 a new corporation was formed, the Sutter Lawn Tennis Club of Sacramento, Inc. In a December 31,1968, agreement the original "Sutter" corporation transferred all assets to the new "Club" corporation. The transfer was contingent upon agreement by the "Club," memorialized in the Grant Deed, to continue to use the assets "for the principal purpose of the promotion of social and competitive tennis and to operate such additional and related facilities in connection herewith, including swimming..." And, it added that if the "Club" ever violated this agreement, then the property would be turned over to the City of Sacramento to be used "for park and recreation facilities."

The facts stored within in the Club records provide a wealth of information. These informative volumes are upstairs in the clubhouse for all members to enjoy. However, it is clear that Sutter Lawn is a neighborhood club, an extended family that joins together for summer potlucks, traditional tennis tournaments, swim meets and neighborhood celebrations. We are interested in preserving the rich traditions of Sutter Lawn Tennis Club.